


(un)usual morning

by gim



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Morning Routines, Post-Canon, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 13:48:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20676404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gim/pseuds/gim
Summary: Minister of the Imperial Household has no time to idle, even in the morning. But upon witnessing his partner's surprising behaviour, he can't help but indulge.





	(un)usual morning

**Author's Note:**

> Hewwo it's my first fanfic written IN YEARS, but I couldn't help myself.  
Only partly beta'd and English is not my first language, so forgive any mistakes I made.

For many people it would come as a surprise, but between Emperor Edelgard’s two loyal advisors, Ferdinand was first to wake up in the mornings - it sure surprised Hubert when they started living together. Granted, he himself got up not much later, but it was baffling at what hours Ferdinand was willing to drag himself out of bed just to carry out his morning routine. 

_‘As a royal advisor it is my duty to be presentable’_, Ferdinand would explain when Hubert gave him a questioning look, but it was obvious part of him simply enjoyed it.

As long as it didn’t hinder his work, Hubert had no reason to complain - sometimes after finishing getting ready himself, he would even help in some way, like brushing particularly stubborn tangles from Ferdinand’s hair. Hubert would occasionally tease him about their length, how his strands get everywhere, but he had to admit Ferdinand looked positively dashing in that hairdo, and running his hands through waves of amber was a delight in itself.

As Empire officials they didn’t have much time for themselves, their schedules keeping them busy throughout the day. Their duties often kept them awake late into the night, but that was to be expected - restoring a country after a war and bringing Her Majesty’s vision to fruition was hard work, but a work that needed doing nonetheless. Aside from short breaks for tea and coffee or when their responsibilities required it, they sometimes barely saw each other for a whole day.

That made the mornings spent getting ready together somehow precious, in a way Hubert couldn’t properly describe. Simply watching Ferdinand - his smile bright and his head crowned in orange halo of hair - prattle on about… well, anything really, made Hubert’s heart swell with affection. If he was feeling especially bold, while they were saying their goodbyes for the day, Hubert would brush Ferdinand’s hair behind his ear and place a gentle kiss to his temple. It always resulted in a pleased, if a little embarrassed, snort from the shorter man.

It was, honestly, frightening for Hubert, how easy it was for them - for _him_ \- to slip into such domesticity. He never considered a possibility of having this kind of arrangement in his life, as he was always prepared to devote every waking moment to Lady Edelgard, to her service. 

And yet, Ferdinand’s presence in his life lifted some sort of burden off his shoulders. Hubert’s particular path in life came with rather… peculiar challenges, most of which he wouldn’t talk about to anyone. It was something he alone had to bear. 

Hubert was adamant about this set of boundaries he wouldn’t, _mustn't_ ever cross. And Ferdinand surprisingly obliged - he wasn’t happy about this, of course, but for once he knew better not to argue. Instead, he would offer a sort of relief when Hubert went back to their private chambers - small things, like a pot of calming tea before bed, strong embrace of his arms or soft murmurs of sweet nothings that helped Hubert fall asleep.

After especially tiresome days these fond gestures meant a world to Hubert - he could only hope Ferdinand somehow knew just how much he appreciated that. Voicing his feelings was still something he struggled with, so instead he held Ferdinand tighter and buried his face in a crook of his partner’s neck. 

A delighted little hum that came from the other man assured him that he was understood.

\---

Upon waking up, Hubert’s mind was already buzzing, preparing list of issues that he had to take care of during the day, evaluating which ones should take priority, who and how he'll need to threaten to make his business run more swiftly… when something unusual distracted his thoughts.

Ferdinand was singing.

It was faint, his voice barely a whisper, probably not to disturb Hubert’s sleep. The melody sounded familiar, although he couldn’t quite place it - it was doubtlessly an aria from one of the operas Ferdinand enjoyed so much. A long-winded and dramatic monologue about courage and virtue that normally would make Hubert roll his eyes, if they were open. As much as lyrics made him recoil internally, Hubert had to admit the song sounded rather lovely on Ferdinand’s lips.

Ferdinand would most likely stop if he knew Hubert was awake. For someone who used to endlessly gloat about his amazing singing voice and wasted talent during their Academy days, he rarely indulged in singing openly. Perhaps he thought such frivolity wasn’t becoming of the Prime Minister. A shame, Hubert thought, since he liked to listen to Ferdinand singing, even if he wouldn't admit it aloud.

So just this once, Hubert decided to stay in bed a little longer, keeping his eyes closed and his breath steady. Ferdinand was pacing around the room, going about his morning routine. Hubert resisted the temptation of sneaking a quick glance at his partner, instead focusing on a soft melody that almost lulled him back to sleep.

At one point Ferdinand tried to stimously hit a high note while keeping his voice quiet - the resulting voice crack could only be described as _adorable_. It took all of Hubert’s self-control to stop a chuckle forming in his chest from escaping. Apparently unaware of it, Ferdinand pushed through and finished a song with a satisfied sigh.

Hubert wondered when would it be safe to ‘wake up’ without looking suspicious, when he heard a shuffle and felt sudden additional weight at his side, as Ferdinand sat next to him on the bed.  


“Who would have thought that even Hubert von Vestra oversleeps…” Ferdinand teased, brushing Hubert’s hair from his face. “How very unlike you. You wouldn't want to keep the Emperor waiting, now would you?” 

Hubert responded with a low hum that, he hoped, would make his little charade more believable. He still had enough time to get ready, he’d wager, so he decided to indulge in this levity a while longer.  


“Aren't you always admonishing me for not getting enough sleep?” He answered with a snide.

Hubert took Ferdinand's hand that was absentmindedly caressing his face and intertwined their fingers. When he finally opened his eyes, Ferdinand greeted him with a smirk. His shirt was only halfway buttoned up and he pulled his hair over his shoulder for easier brushing.

“And now you are trying to spin this against me, you scoundrel!”, came the answer, but there was clear laughter in Ferdinand's voice. “Well, for what it's worth, it _has_ been a while since you slept so peacefully. You must have had a pleasant dream, I take it?” He asked, drawing slow circles on the back of Hubert’s hand with his thumb. 

To that, Hubert couldn’t help but smile.

“Something like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can come scream about these two on my twitter [@gimladen](https://twitter.com/gimladen). I mostly rt stuff, but alas.


End file.
